The present invention relates to a method for assembling an awning, including a method for tensioning the material from which the awning is constructed.
Awnings have grown in popularity in recent years. A conventional awning typically includes a welded frame having canvas, nylon, or vinyl material stretched thereover. One end of the awning material is sewn about a piece of spline and inserted into awning head-rail secured to the frame. In one type of awning, the opposite end of the material is secured to the frame by rope or line which extends through eyelets in the material and about the frame. The frame is thereafter secured to a building facade or other structure in a conventional manner.
One type of awning which has grown in popularity is the back lit awning. In this type of awning, vinyl-coated nylon material is stretched over a skeletal frame and a light source is placed within the frame behind the material, thereby illuminating the awning. Angle members secured to the frame may be utilized to support a piece of clear or shaded plastic or light diffuser material on the bottom of the awning. It is extremely important in a back lit awning that the vinyl-coated nylon material be as taut as possible about the skeletal frame, thereby providing an aesthetically pleasing awning structure which is properly illuminated.